Posted on 12/15/2006 9:15:48 AM PST by george76
Relatives of three men missing in bitter weather on Mount Hood comforted each other and held out hope Friday that the trio survived, eight days after the lightly equipped men left for a two-day ascent.
Winds were expected to gust to 100 mph Friday morning in the latest of a string of storms to hit the 11,239-foot mountain, and forecasters said rescuers' next shot to find the men probably would be Saturday.
Kelly James, who like Hall is from Dallas, was believed to be holed up in a snow cave near the top, and the other two were thought to have tried to descend for help.
A signal from James' cell phone placed him between 10,000 feet and 11,000 feet Sunday when he made a four-minute distress call to his family.
"He described his condition. He was very coherent," Karen James said. "He did not sound good."
On Thursday, authorities said James' phone was on briefly as recently as Tuesday. But for more than two days the phone had not responded to engineers' signals, sent every five minutes.
In response to its "pings," T-Mobile got a return signal from James' phone early Tuesday, indicating the handset was back on, when it had been off, authorities said Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
It would be SOOOOOO cool after 8 DAYS to find them on Hanukkah!!
I read that people were dying from the cold winter storm at low elevations too.
"it has been a terrible Winter here in the PNW and why they'd venture onto the mountain in-between storms is any body's guess."
Mother Nature is our b1+ch, haven't you heard? We control the weather, according to Al Gore. Besides, there's a resuce center right down the mountain to take care of anybody who gets into trouble and it's free. /s
I do feel for these guys but, dang.
sorry these folks are missing BUT the searchers ARE risking their lives as a result of their assininity and if they find these folks alive- they SHOULB be fined and compensated for risking hte lives of the searchers! Just posted in the teacher sex scandal thread & the poor sissy is whining about 'having his life ruined by the experience' (or others are squaking about it?) and here people ARE actually risking their lives searching for folks in horrid conditions? I'm weighing the differences between the two cases & somehow the teacher sex scandal thing doesn't compute on the 'victimization' scale. http://sacredscoop.com
About 1.5 million homes and businesses in Washington and Oregon had no power early Friday after howling windstorms and heavy rains caused at least three deaths, closed two major bridges and sparked flooding.
One of the concourses at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was without electricity, and an airport spokesman said some flights likely would be canceled.
The Oregon Department of Transportation closed three major highways crossing the Cascade Range because of fallen trees or downed power lines, and winds gusted past 90 mph on the Oregon coast.
The National Weather Service said rainfall was expected to be as high as 8 inches on the coast and 5 inches in the Cascade Range, with snow at higher elevations.
The Associated Press
Why in God's name are these people always unprepared???
In Arizona, most of the roads to the Grand Canyon are closed from like November - March. Why can't they close off roads and climbers need to wait until decent spring/summer weather to go climbing...
I'm so sick of this silly a$$ed crap that I'll not even comment except to say: "It is one thing to go in harm's way for a noble purpose. It is quite another to go in harm's way for no purpose at all."
I'm with you.
Apparently it's pretty damn hard to do 'em in the winter, too.
"Why in God's name are these people always unprepared???"
If they're prepared they don't need to be rescued. There are hundreds or thousands of winter ascents every year that never make the news - because they are successful.
MSNBC Reporting that a note left by the climbers has been found by the rescuers.
We are soon going to find out how good of outdoorsmen these climbers are....and then a book and movie to follow I am sure
Was this the note found inside of the rental car at the trail head giving details of their planned route ?
or a second note found elsewhere on the mountain ?
Unfortunately, it is extremely likely that they are all dead by now.
And who's paying for this massive search?
I hope I'm wrong, and that somehow, all three have managed to weather the storms.
Mountain Conditions Mt. Hood Meadows Telemetry and Snow Pack
CURRENT CONDITIONS
DAY FRIDAY, 12/15 8:00 AM
HOURS OF OPERATION 9 AM - 10 PM
TEMP BASE AREA 23 Degrees
TEMP TOP OF MT. HOOD EXPRESS (7000ft) 19 Degrees
WIND BASE AREA 10 - 20MPH
WIND TOP OF MT. HOOD EXPRESS 15 - 25 MPH Gusts to 50 MPH
NEW SNOW IN LAST 24HRS 6"
NEW SNOW IN LAST 12HRS 6"
SNOW SETTLED AT BASE 5 Feet
SNOW AT MID MOUNTAIN 6 Feet
WEATHER: Snowing - blowing snow.
SURFACE CONDITIONS: Powder over Power Tilled ROADS: Snowpacked, blowing snow, watch for icey spots - traction devices required.
COMMENTS: Get ready for the GLACIAL OUTBURST celebration December 16 and 17!
LIFTS
DAY SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY 12/15
BUTTERCUP 9 AM - 10PM
BLUE 3 PM - 10 PM
YELLOW 3 PM - 10 PM
DAISY 3 PM - 10 PM
EASY RIDER 9 AM - 10 PM
SHOOTING STAR EXPRESS 9 AM - 4 PM
MT. HOOD EXPRESS 9 AM - 10 PM
CASCADE EXPRESS Weather Standby
HOOD RIVER EXPRESS 9 AM - 4 PM
VISTA EXPRESS 9 AM - 3:30 PM
HEATHER CANYON 9 AM - 3 PM
ROPE TOW 9 AM - 10 PM
Back in the mid-70s three guys got caught on the mountain. Dug in and waited it out. All got out fine after 13 days.
But then they had 10 days worth of food.....
Yes, that's a key point. Presumably, they also had quite a few days worth of stove fuel or something to melt snow, whereas I would guess that these guys do not. Hunger and dehydration do not mix well with being out in the cold. Eating snow or sucking on ice is a good way to push yourself into hypothermia.
In any case, it is possible that these guys are riding it out in snow caves or some other improvised shelter, but to me, the likely lack of food and water is very disturbing.
Snow is water......no problem. Hang on...they'll find'em.
The other guys (70s) all lost an avg of 30 lbs.
They melted water by putting snow in containers and putting it under their coats, much as we were taught in USAF survival school. It works, but it ain't cooked bacon.
We'll see Friday if the local can get a good WX window.
And yes, a good Christmas story if all are still alive and reunited with families.
I'm watching this and praying too. One thing I found really encouraging was a post in one of the papers, I think, by a guy who had been in a similar situation for 13 days. Same thing -- experienced climbers, made a snow cave, they couldn't search for them til the storm lifted. He said the negative news reports had been the hardest thing for their family, but not to give up hope.
So, keep praying. It's not over til it's over.
I don't think 10 days without food is so bad; you can live a month without food. Those guys who were stuck back in the 70s said the snow cave was WARM. I was much encouraged by that story.
We can assume this and that, but until we know, we just won't know. May as well pray as give up.
Great point!
I remember several years ago, a friend was telling me about two guys who on the spur of the moment decided to climb up the El Capitan in Yosemite. They only took a box of fig Newtons up with them. And wouldn't you know it, they had to be rescued half way up...
If I was younger, and in the AO, I would offer to help (I'm a ham operator) - never give up...in the 70s story, the kids poped out of their snow cave, only to see a rescue party within hailing distance.
And in a made for TV ending, one one of the rescue party was the father of one of the "lost". Too cool then, quite the lesson today.
And the recent Kim rescue is also a lesson.
If that snow cave rises above 32F it would be a disaster.
Oregon law allows them to charge for rescues but typically Oregon does not charge.
This all seems terribly contrived. One climber near summit w/cell phone. Ping. Ping. Two others mysteriously absent yet searchers are finding notes stating they have provisions.
just my opinion.
The SAR teams are entirely volunteers and are ready, willing, and eager to help in the effort. Yeah, they're putting themseves at risk, and they love it.
http://www.pmru.org/aboutpmr/whatispmr.html
"Portland Mountain Rescue is a non-profit, *volunteer* organization dedicated to saving lives through rescue and education... consist of a *volunteer* group of highly skilled climbers and enthusiastic support resources that are dedicated to getting people out of trouble in mountainous and high-angle areas. Our members, numbering over 70 strong, serve in a variety of roles, while working toward a single goal - saving lives." (emphasis original)
http://www.cmru.peak.org/about_cmru.htm
"Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit offers assistance, without charge, for search and rescue (SAR) in difficult areas and high-angle terrain. Skilled CMRU volunteers with mountaineering experience, trained in the many facets of technical alpine search and rescue, are available around the clock."
http://www.cragrats.org/
"Founded in 1926, the Crag Rats is the oldest mountain search and rescue organization in the United States. Based in Oregon's Hood River Valley, the all-volunteer Rats conduct operations on Mount Hood."
My brother was lost in a blizzard in the Sierras. Search & Rescue never charged us a thing. They sent up a helicopter, really knocked themselves out to find him and his girlfriend. Weather had come up really fast, etc.
Many of the routes on Mt. Hood are safer in the winter than in the spring and summer.
""Why in God's name are these people always unprepared???""
"Light and fast" is an accepted climbing technique/philosophy. The less "stuff" you have, the faster you up and down the mountain.
The reason they're saying "lightly equipped" is that one of the guys was carrying a half-sleeping bag (bivvy bag), but IMO that should be plenty for hunkering in a snow cave, even for a week. The ambient temps up there are in the 20's and 30's, and if they're out of the wind in snow caves, the temps in the cave will be well over 32F.
I read somewhere that Oregon puts a $500 cap on SAR, and as ndt said it would levied on a case-by-case basis according to how stupid the rescuee is judged to have been.
One of the guys was posting their trip plan over at cascadeclimbers.com in November.
His final post is:
Thanks for the info guys. My problem is that we havent been able to get a decent map of where all these huts/cabins/trailheads are. I tried to buy an out of print guidebook but nobody had it in stock. It must have sounded a bit dumb asking about a cabin 500 yards from the parking lot. We'll shoot for it in a day, if conditions are slow then a short bivy somewhere along the way and over to the South side and down the next.
I will definetely post pics and a TR with approach conditions. Also will be trying out a half sleeping bag/DAS parka bivy system, will let you all know exactly how much that sucks if I have to use it-yes I know, "if you bring bivy gear you will bivy".
"And who's paying for this massive search?"
Here we go again.
The SAR teams are all volunteer.
The rest of it is paid for by the same people who pay for firetrucks, dogcatchers, beach lifeguards, school crossing guards, etc.
And don't forget that all of the public servants are paid whether they're supporting a SAR or rescuing cats from trees.
Come back to whine about it once you've determined the precise and actual dollar amount that's coming from *your* pocket. Then you'll have something to talk about.
Temps in a snow cave can get surprisingly warm, causing snowmelt from the roof and walls. If they captured that melt they'd have enough water to stave off dehydration.
Oh, they had a purpose alright. They are thrill seekers. Self gratification as it turns out, at other's expense and possibly the highest price of all to themselves.
angkor from what I understand, it's not all volunteers- the army, air guard, international guard, as well as units of army personaell are involved as well, They aren't volunteer- and does the SARS provide free heli- costs? http://sacredscoop.com
Yes the expediture for retrieving a cat from a tree is certainly comparable to the expenditure for a weeklong+ airial search for 3 stranded mountaineers.
The "they are there anyway" defense is a canard as these sort of operations are often quite expensive.
That being said, whatever the cost the essential point is the taxpayer should not be held reponsible for bailing out those individuals with an over abundance of testosterone who choose to engage in risky behavior to get their thrills. If they're that gung-ho to put their lives in danger, let them self insure for such eventualities.
Just another example of the vast majority paying for the arguably poor decisions of a tiny majority.
First, the actual mountain rescue teams are composed of volunteers, with the exception of Special Forces SAR which joined the effort only in the last two days.
Second, the military personnel are paid whether they're "sitting in their barracks" or helping on a SAR. There is zero additional cost to the taxpayer.
Finally, climbing rescues represent 3.8 percent of all rescues performed in Oregon, right above mushroom picking at 3.3 percent.
Activity All Oregon Rescues (2003)
1. Hiking 18.5%
2. Motor Vehicle12 14.8%
3. Hunting 10.3%
4. Wandering13 8.6%
5. Boating (all forms) 6.0%
6. Fixed Wing Aircraft 4.1%
7. Climbing 3.8%
8. Mushroom Picking 3.3%
9. Snowmobiling 3.1%
10. Fishing 2.9%
I refer you to a detailed "cost of rescues" study done by the American Alpine Club last year. Arm yourself with the facts.
http://www.americanalpineclub.org/pdfs/MRreal.pdf
Maureen Dowd, is that you?
We didn't have to pay for the helicopter search for my brother. I think if they only rescued people who could pay -- you just can't go there.
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